Elder Trey Hafen

Chapter 24: Faith to overcome and to feel our savior's love

Dear family and friends. I'm blessed to have the time I do and write to you the past experiences I've had on the mission so far. Things have been going great!! I can testify that mission is a refined fire and great lesson come of it. A lot of hope that was back by faith. Because of our Faith the lord mercy extend Miracles in our work.

I hope yall can understand my email because I don't go back and check for spelling errors plus this may be a long email. I have a lot to share and plus I may not email until the last week of my mission or I'll just wait to give my homecoming talk. Anyways here we go.

Lafayette felt like home! I got some roots there. My first cousin 4 times removed was the patriarch of the stake. I didn't know that the first time so the lord had to send me back I guess. On top of that I made some great friends in the ward and outside of the ward. Let me tell you about the ones the lord gave me. Im going to tell it like im reading a list. This way you know I had a valid excuse of not typing an email for so long. Plus who doesn't like a good back story!?

Eunice and Maelynn were such family to me! Eunice literally could be my grandmother. She gave us some cool gifts as missionaries, her door was always opened to us, and her playing her southern Baptist gospel music made it all the vide. She wasn't born and raised in Lafayette. She actually from Chicago and moved to Lafayette. That's pretty usually that people from Chicago move to Lafayette. They move out of Chicago because of the leaders that keep on falling them. It true! You can't believe anything these day haha. Anyways back with Eunice. I didn't know that Elder Subardjo (my companion) had answer some tough questions in the past with her before i came. Elder Subardjo didn't think she would progress and it would have hurt him. Elder Subardjo was pretty new to the mission. Its usually tough for newer missionaries for them not to see someone they love to progress. My first night meeting Eunice was quite a delight. She actually my first lesson in the area. We read the Book of Mormon and she felt the spirit while she read the Book of Mormon for the first time. As I was talking about the spirit she bore a spiritual experience to us. I was shocked! Nobody shared a spiritual experience with me for a long time. It felt great to her what she had to say. After she was done I felt the spirit and Confirmed her to that. She couldn't believe I felt the spirit to what she said and was brought to tears. That was great night. I knew she going to progress after that night! As we kept on meeting with her and Maelynn to teach them the lesson to prepare them for baptism. The more we meant the more stories we heard and the love she shared. See Eunice loves taking care of little children that she even has a daycare in her home. She makes sure that they even listen and know who Jesus is for them. Eunice adopted Maelynn at young age. Maelynn living situation was very shakey and wasn't stable. Eunice can't see a young child go down like that so she brought her in as her own. Maelynn wasn't the first but is the last of who Eunice brought in too take care of. Eunice had that light of christ and new that children had it too. It was great to see that light of her to shine and she wasn't afraid to let it shine. Eunice was always a faithful woman. She has baptized as a Baptist. Well come to find out she was put on date before I came in to the area and i didn't know. She wasn't going to be able to make her date so we had to push it back. Luckily she forgot but there was push back. She told us she was baptized and why does she need it again. That night was very key moment to fuel her desire to be baptized. We taught the Doctrine that was need and assured her that her baptism wasn't wrong but an act of faith. Than ready 2 Nephi 31 the parts talking about christ being baptized. I had the gift of tongues that night. I said things I didn't even think I could say. The questions I asked, the testimony I bore, and the way I taugh. It wasn't me I could have never had put the teachings like that before. It was amazing! We committed her to pray about the authority that John the Baptist had that night. We told her that she will know that we hold that same authority today. After the lesson I went home and went to bed. My companion usually stay up later than me. Eunice called him that night and told him that she watch a video on YouTube about John having the authority. For once YouTube works in our favor. The lord works in mysterious way. Anyways she goes and tells him that she believes it true and needs to be baptized. I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning when my comp tell me the news. Then she got her interview done by President Riding a couple weeks after that moment. That was a very spiritual moment. It one after another! But also Satan did try to attack that day to not make it happen. It was very stressful but things pulled through as we had faith in the lord. She even testified of it saying "I needed that interview and for you guys to be here today. For some reason something didn't want this to happen." Satan always attacks when we're always trying to do good. That's why as saints we need to be there for one another. Soon after she was baptized and received the Holy ghost that same day. She testified and was joyfully that she feels the holy ghost. When Elder Subardjo was going to leave the area she throw a goodbye party. It was tough on her saying goodbye to Elder Subardjo. She also sad to see me to leave a 6 weeks later. Elder Subardjo told me when he left that he didn't think that was going to happen. The lord had different plans! Just has the lord as a plan for are daily lives. We think we know best but remember we don't have the eternal view of this life.

Dani: now Dani is super awesome. She was so elect. I truly mean it and still can say it too this day! Elders from Purdue found her and invited her to church. She pulled up and that's when we first meant her. We than set up times to meet and went from there. We didn't know she had a wig until we had are first lesson. She answered the door and my Companion and I thought she was a guy and we were dumbfounded in that moment when it was her. We got to know her goals and expectations for the upcoming new year. As she was talking it seemed as she was at war with herself and trying to find something that brings her joy. We introduce the Book of Mormon and it helped her feel good inside as she read it. While answering her questions. Dani was very outgoing and did anything to help her friends and family even when they weren't capable of taking care of her. Dani always seeked the truth at a young age and couldn't find it. She was baptized in many churches but found them to be faulty. As we taught the first vision from the JSH at the end she said that she is that boy. The boy referring to Joseph Smith. The spirit is was very strong in the room and testified to me that her statement is true. As we continued teaching dani we got to know her more. Not only did She want to change but to bring the change for her son. Her son being 4 and being a single mother she wanted a good structure for her family. In her words she wanted to break from the stereotype in which the world puts it. She knew how serious the gospel will be able to help her and her family. She was grasping the principles and we put her on date for baptism. Her change was happening so fast. My companion and I the week before her baptism she told us that we needed to push it back. But she had to let somethings go. Nothing bad but to settle the past and close the door. It shocked us on what she showed us. But also it was great to see her to forget the past and move on to greener fields. Like I said she knew how serious the commitment was and she was committed. As we moved her date it gave the opportunity for her loved ones to come. Working towards the baptism Dani was introducing us to her friends and being a missionary before being baptized. She was converted to the truth. She start bring her friends to church and there kids. The kids started to gain the motivation to push their parents to go to church. Then came the baptism. Bud was able to baptized her. She being his first to baptized and he's been a convert for less than a year. Her family unfortunately weren't able to make it. Satan did all that he could but Dani was to converted to the truths. After baptism we took her to the temple. Which I got to see a ward member from my first area. That was really cool to see. But it couldn't have happened if Dani had her temple recommend. Yep she forgot her recommend but God plans. I've learned lot through Dani's journey and taugh me a lot of important truths. As I was on the verge of leaving the area she got to speak in church and get a calling. It was quite the cherry on top. She doing great and continues to keep growing her discipleship.

Skyler: we had some much fun getting to know skyler and getting to teach him. My first time in Lafayette I knew his grandma (Cindy) because I was in the area on an exchange teaching skyler cousin. But I didn't know skyler. One night in the freezing cold Indiana weather on bikes we decided to go pay skyler a visit. Missionaries in the past tried to teach them buy didn't really get anywhere. We had a long visit because skyler dad (Jonathan) talk our ear off the rest of our evening. It was great fellowship I would say. We scheduled a time to come back and so we did. We sat there again in a very long rant of his about life. Toward the end of the rant we mentioned baptism to see if skyler was interested. He said yes and was excited. He made a plan when and how to teach them with their busy schedules and how they were going to get to church. We taugh at his grandma cindy house. She was so sweet and nice and even got a meal out of it. It was a great time! Not only teaching skyler but to get to know the backstory of the grandma and her conversion. As time when on we were making great progress. Skyler was grasping the lesson and knew what he was talking about. But you would guess what would come next. The baptism being a week and a half a way we got told by his other grandmother (Anna) that was quite the imposter told us to push it back quite a bit a ways. The Adversary came attacking. Oh me Anna went back and forth. Nothing continous just making the art of the deal. A lot of negotiating and bs to cut through. We went to visit skyler dad and to see if thei is what he wanted and if it is true. Walls came down and we stook to the date. Some background with skyler dad John he fell away from the church but followed the commandments but he knew he would return someday. John mom Anna is an excommunicated member and never really kept the commandment but let spiritual blindness blind her. They were both knowledgeable. There always a breaking point to the Adversary attack. We went back again to confirm the date we had set for skyler Baptism. As Anna conutined voicing to push it back even tearing down skyler in a away. the father spoke up against Anna and proceeded with the date. Fight Anna muliputive tactic towards him he stayed true to the faith. The Adversary force was therefore defeated in the faith of a father for his son knowing what was right. When the weekend arrived the father got to baptized his own son and has waited for that moment. After the baptism the father slowed started getting back into church and the rest is history.

Star: close to a year ago I knew who star was. I was serving in the neighboring area called Prophetstown. The Prophetstown and Weacreek Elders car shared quite a bit together. That same time when I was in Prophetstown star was supposed to be baptized. On the day of her baptism she canceled and didn't feel ready. My companion and I were there and saw the sadness and frustration on the Elders faces. We couldn't believe what happened. Fast forward to now. As we we're almost baptizing weekly stars mom (Sister Jackson) would always come and support. She would bring star with her time to time. Bud (A good friend to the missionaries) and I were talking and I whispered in her ear and told him that we were going to baptized star. It was complete ambition and a desire to get her to the waters of baptism. After skyler Baptism sister Jackson came up to me and said that star is ready and wants to be baptized. This sounded great to hear! We had so much fun having lessons with star and talking about the animals she has and even doing a puzzle before here baptism. Great fellowship was taking place. But there were bumps along the way. Just as Satan intends too. But star conutined to have Faith and trust in the plan. No matter what here siblings believed she continued to press forward. Here baptism was very well attended were we had to do it in the chapel. President and Sister Riding made time out of there busy schedules to come and attended. The baptism was very satisfying. The lord had her prepared for that moment!! She is now able to attend the temple with her mom. Ps her mom has a remarkable backstory of coming back to the church and has one of the great testimony of the church. She helped a out a tone with star and was a great role model through the process. Now a family that was once lost is Now able to worship in the house of the lord.

Kenny: Subardjo and I didn't find kenny. Other Elder that blitzed are area did. Kenny wanted to change his life and hand it over to God. For weeks we didn't have contact with him. Subardjo and I decided to visit him in person. At this moment Subardjo and I were very busy with the friends we had that were progressing towards baptism. So we said no matter the outcome we will have drop kenny. Well the story goes that kenny answered the door and very pressed. Got very continuous. Then has we testified of the gospel and our purpose as missionaries kenny had a change of heart. I never seen someone humble themselves this quick within a moment of a minute. He set the time and date to come back and promise to us that he will be there at that set time. And we went from there. We meant consistently and he came to Church only for the first hour. Kenny had a tough time reading the scriptures but was always sensitive to the spirit. For a couple weeks we didn't meet because he was sick. At this point he was had a goal to be baptized this weekend. The day being. April 13th. I gave him call on Monday with the plan to push his date back. We also had transfer coming up on the 17th. And I highly likely I wasn't going to be staying. Having the conversation on the phone kenny told me that he wasn't going move his date back and he was going to be baptized on the 13th. Basically he was locked in. I was stress for the most part. We had a lot to go over and only had 5 days to do it. But we clutched up! It was really cool that I left that area baptizing kenny. Quite a way to end the chapter. There were a lot of doubts in that process with kenny. But faith over comes doubts. You have a belief, that belief gets attack but as you endure the attack on your belief, it will be strengthen at the end of the Storm. Which then will grant you a testimony. Ether 12:6 explains this better than I just did. Faith is important. Thought that experience I exercise so much faith. I'm not going to lie I give into doubts easy. But i learned that doubts don't lead to achieving and prosperity but deprives your faith gets rid of your hopes. With Faith you can achieve anything!! I could of given up on kenny. I also could of doubted his responds towards keeping the date and moved it instead. But I had the faith it was going to happen. Remember Faith is a principle of action. Through your faith action the lord will provide Miracles.

Bro and Sis Dawson: this story is pretty cool. This is an experience I had that I know that Heavenly father is aware of our needs and he will provide. But we also need to be sensitive to the enticing of the holy spirit. At the start of my mission I'm not going to lie I have ignored some promptings from the holy spirit. When you do you regret but now much older on my mission I kept close to the spirit and to be ready for whatever prompting it may bring to me. My companion and I decided to go visit a town not to far. It the distance of the virgin valley highschool to the bunkerville chapel. There were inactive members we could go visit and felt right to go. We were very busy at this time with many friends that we were teaching and preparing to get baptized. As we to town we visited all these members with no answers or nothing. My companion and I looked at each other seeing what we should do. We pulled up the map and saw the Dawson family. This is a unplanned visit. We knock and Sister Dawson let us in and we get to know each other but she was very sensitive to the rules. Her husband was home but was working from home. As the conversation start to die and her husband not present, she was going to kick us out. Totally understandable. Right when we're about too leave the husband comes right out and starts talking with us cracking jokes just very outgoing guy. Funny things is I remember this guy my first time in Lafayette. He was in a ward council meeting but I didn't talk to him much. Days before this moment he was on my mind a lot and I didn't know why. A couple nights before this visit they took some Elders out to eat that weren't in their ward to there favorite place, Qdoba. These Elders bragged to us about it and we thought it was really fun. They mentioned that they were moving. Bro Dawson ask my companion and I too come back and help them move. As weeks went on we helped to get their home pack and remodel so they can leave by June. They feed us apple fritters overtime we came as we did service or take us out for Qdoba. Man that family was so awesome! Bro Dawson took us for a ride in his dodge charger scat pack which was lit. He went 130 mph on the freeway and that felt great!! As time flew bye it was time to go. Elder Subardjo said goodbye so we had 1 last time at Qdoba all together. Sister Dawson towards the end shared a very touching thanking. In the message she shared she said: her and her husband during this move was going to be rough for them. They had no help and didn't know who to reachout too. That we lifted a burden. I said to her that Heavenly father is aware of your needs and you weren't not planned to visit that day. Let alone we didn't even remember your names when the elder bragged about you guys take them out to dinner. If it wasn't for the spirit prompting us to be in that area we would have cross path. But the father had other intentions. The spirit confirmed to me in that moment why that all happened.

My time 2nd time in Lafayette Ive have learned a lot and I have a lot to share about it. I'm going to miss my friends. The toughest area to say goodbye. I didn't even share about Emma or easton. There is a lot more I could share about that area that. Getting free ice cream and food from DQ will be missed. Tyrone was a dawg for that!! But Emma has decided to be baptized on July 5th and her boyfriend easton will baptize her before he leaves for his mission. That the little ill share. As you focus on bring joy to people’s life. Your outlook on life changes for the better. It's a win win I would say. Just as Christ focused on bring us joy!!

But do we have a God of justice but also he is mercyful, that he sent his son that laid his life for us. Because of Him the examplore we are able to follow him back to the faith. Stay true to the Faith. The lord plans is better than ours. Trust in him no matter the situation. Learn the gifts of the holy ghosts and be sensitive to prompting. Know the backstory of others. Sometimes we want to push forward but we forget or don't know who we are doing it with. Not only does the lord know us but refined us to be what we need to be in order become joint heirs in the kingdom. This gospel doesn't only change families but free us from the chain of the world.

work hard play hard and have fun doing it!!!

Testify of Christ always my friends 🤍